Dear President Biden, I don’t think I’ve confessed to you before that I’m a magpie – I collect things, ideas, words, stuff that catches my eye, or my heart. Some of the physical bits are sitting on the kitchen windowsill or the mantel, but mostly the stuff gets incorporated into these letters or my art. …
Strides aren’t enough; we need to hold out for leaps
Dear President Biden, I’m rather in a funk today. It’s not a big deal at all – it’s just what happens when I need to buckle down and start drafting a paper that doesn’t feel straightforward to frame. I spent much of the day picking through Google Scholar trying to get a better handle on …
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The vaccine bone’s connected to the carbon bone…
Dear President Biden, You know that song about how the toe bone is connected to the foot bone? It’s variously called “Dem Bones,” “The Skeleton Song,” or “Dry Bones”. Well, back when we lived in Albuquerque and had our most wonderful dog, Barbara the Doberwoman :), Laura used to sing that song to her with …
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“The lives we are all entitled to.”
Dear President Biden, This morning on our dog-walk-in-the-rain we took a lap around the Sandpoint Country Club to the east of us, an old haunt that we used to frequent almost once a week pre-COVID for it’s lush landscaping, sweeping views of Lake Washington, and sedate drivers. About halfway around the loop I pondered aloud …
We can’t afford the usual faux bipartisan “negotiations” on climate change
Dear President Biden, It turns out that when I’m full-on juggling too many things at work and still trying to cook reasonably good meals, take reasonably long walks, and sleep reasonably healthy stretches, optional letter writing takes a backseat. And so it has lately. In lieu of a real letter, here is a haiku in …
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The brilliance of “Tired” by Langston Hughes
Dear President Biden, I didn’t think the Chauvin verdict would come so quickly and rather than pivot now, I’m going to go with what I drafted this morning before work. But please know, I am relieved and grateful for Chauvin’s conviction on all three counts. At the same time, please know, I grieve for young …
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Weevils and worms
Dear President Biden, This morning I started a cup of dried chickpeas soaking in water so I could make falafel for dinner tonight. It was to be a Sunday treat – “was” being the operative word here. After several hours I looked into the bowl to check on the plumping progress and noticed some weird …
Required reading
Dear President Biden, Please, sir, please read today's WP editorial by Jonathan Capehart entitled Being Black in America is Exhausting. It should be required reading for all White people. That’s all I have to say today except to reiterate, please read it. May we all be safe to be.May we all be willing to radically …
We are a despicable lot
Dear President Biden, Last night my brother texted and then called to tell me that Wednesday night when he was walking his roommate’s dog a police car rolled up alongside him. He said the officer was friendly but that he conveyed the message that someone had called the police reporting that a Black man was …
Braids and hearts
Dear President Biden, The center panel of the above-the-fold section of the online WP this morning holds three stories about Black men who were killed or brutalized by police. From top to bottom they include: 1) the story of Anton Wright, a 19-year old mentally ill young man who died under the weight of three …
The Biden Letters 